The present invention relates to apparatus for preparing moulded articles, particularly for preparing frozen confecionery articles in moulds and more particularly to preparation of multi-component, layered articles and to means for removing liquid from moulds which contain a solidified article form and liquid and particularly to apparatus for suctioning for removing liquid from a solidified article form for preparing multi-component, layered articles.
There is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,553, a method for moulding hollow chocolate shells in which melted chocolate is poured into cavities pressed in an aluminium foil serving as a mould cooled to low temperature, the chocolate is left to solidify in contact with the cooled surface of the mould, and then the still-liquid centre of the chocolate is extracted by means of tubular nozzles connected to a reservoir under vacuum, so as to form a hollow chocolate shell with a thin wall. The extracted chocolate is recirculated into the reservoir of the apportioning machine by means of a pump and a tube heated to keep the chocolate mass in the liquefied state.
In the field of frozen confectionery articles, the principle of the cold mould is also used, for example in PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO 91/13557, to manufacture frozen cones by moulding a layer of chocolate inside a wafer cone. To do this, a mass of liquid chocolate is poured inside a wafer cone, and then the mass is distributed in a thin layer on the internal surface of the cone by inserting a cold conical counter-mould into the wafer.